Diverging Paths
by initial-i
Summary: Even though the Black Organization was finally defeated, there is still no cure for APTX that Shinichi took. What will he do now as he faced the tough choices of his life. Possible ConanAi
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters of Meitantei Conan.

It took years to finally tear down the Black Organization. With FBI agents constantly but cautiously monitoring Black Organization members and Japan Police Department assisting in the captures and arrests, the day that this particular organization ceased has arrived.

However, while most of us can sleep more soundly, walk without the fear of someone following, or drop our guards just for a moment to enjoy the day, some are not as fortunate as us. After cataloging all of what is left of the organization, the police found that the BO has destroyed almost every record related to its science department, including information regarding a certain Apoptoxin 4689.

_Edogawa Conan, Age 8_

There were five of them in the Kudou mansion living room; three adults and two children, or so would a normal person think. However, they were not regular children. In fact, they were Kudou Shinichi and Miyano Shiho now carrying the façade of eight year olds as Edogawa Conan and Haibara Ai. The atmosphere was unsurprisingly grim as they have just received a copy of the report delivered by Megure-keibu.

"I'm not sure. Actually, I don't know. There's barely any information or lab records that can help me make the antidote. I could keep on making the ones we have, but it will probably take years until I can make a permanent antidote. And I'm still seeing this optimistically," said the professor trapped in the body of a little girl.

"Optimistically? That sounds depressing!" yelled a frustrated mother who is awaiting his son's fate. To some, Kudou Yukiko might seem like a bad mother, leaving her son to live by himself while she lives vicariously in New York. But she had her reasons and none of that rings a tone similar to 'not loving her son.'

"Well, I was…or I am assuming that there would be no side effects of taking a drug potent enough to expand your body and increase your age. But realistically speaking, taking it for a long period of time is just dangerous," snapped Ai.

"Shinichi," interjected Kudou Yusaku, who has his hand on his son's shoulder through the entire ordeal, "it's your choice. You should decide how you want to live your life. Of course we have opinions, but we won't forbid you from taking errrr riskier paths." For once, the master of words, world renown mystery novelist, could not say anything better to sooth his son's dilemma.

"I don't know. I need to think. Hakase, your house isn't locked right? Can I run down there and think for a while?" said the great detective. It was clear how much pain he was in. It's not everyday that you are told that the road of your life diverges into two; one that would ultimately lead you to an early death and one that forces you to never be you again.

"Of course Shinichi-kun," replied Agasa-hakase, a kind old man who sympathizes with the child whom he has looked over since he was young. Twice, if you include this particular ordeal.

"You should all get some rest. I'll be back as soon as I can." With that, our beloved Kudou Shinichi left to seek solace in seclusion.

So? How was it? If there are any mistakes, please tell me. I don't have my Detective Conan books so I had to use my own memories for some of them (cough the drug code cough). I'll try to update as fast as possible. Feedbacks are helpful.


	2. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't any characters in Detective Conan

After what felt like an eternity, Shinichi returned to the living room, finding out that no one had really budged from their seat. Aside from a couple of fresh cups of coffee laid on the glass table, everything was in place, including the respective drinkers of the said coffee.

"Everyone, I think I've made my decision," he announced.

"Shin-chan, are you sure you don't need more time? You should really think over it carefully. It is a very big decision to make," Yukiko replied with caution.

"No, I've had the past two years to prepare for this. I'll probably never be sure if I made the right decision, but I have to make it regardless," Shinichi somberly declared.

**Chapter 1**

Mouri Residence

_Ring ring ring_

"Conan-kun! Can you answer that?" said a girl stumbling, desperately looking for her tie.

"Sorry, Ran-neechan! I'm late for school!" Conan replied.

_Ring ring ring…_

"Alright! Alright already! Mouri Residence. This is Ran speaking."

"Hello Ran-chan, it's Yukiko. I've received some news about Shin-chan. I was hoping we could meet over coffee sometime today…"

"Yukiko-san, what's wrong? Are you crying? What happened to Shinichi? Please answer me!" Ran demanded.

However, Yukiko softly spoke, "I think I better tell you in person. Why don't I stop by at the office later this evening?"

"Don't bother. I'm coming over right now. You're at home right?"

"Yes. I'll be expecting you."

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Ran never thought that she could even run that fast. She made it to Shinichi's house in record time, 15 minutes. Yet, the situation seemed too grave to be thinking of such things. Yukiko greeted her once she arrived. Ran suddenly felt the heavy and austere atmosphere in the house. As far as she can remember, the Kudou's house was always warm or at least calming, even after Shinichi disappeared. But now, it felt like someone died.

Did someone die?

"Ran, please sit down, I'll get you some tea."

Yukiko's lifeless tone snapped Ran out of her daydream.

"Yukiko-san, what's wrong?" she asked as she sat down on one of the Kudou's comfy couches.

Yukiko quietly poured some tea to her cup, took a deep breath, and sought Ran's eyes with her own teary ones.

"Shin-chan…he's gone," with that, she broke into tears.

However, a confused Ran could barely fathom the news that just hit her. "What do you mean 'gone'? Gone as in he's not coming back to Japan? He's in another country? What?"

"Ran, Shinichi passed away. He's isn't coming back."

"It can't be. He just called me two weeks ago. He said he's coming back soon and we're going to see each other in school again. What happened? You're lying right?" Ran said, desperately hoping that she misheard Yukiko's words.

"Shinichi has been working on a large and extremely dangerous case involving a secret underground society called the Black Organization. His investigation was a success. The Japan Police and US FBI took down the organization last week, but Shin-chan…he…" Yukiko then broke out in tears again, sobbing as if she never cried before, "he didn't survive. He stupidly offered himself as bait, and the cops didn't get to him in time."

By now, Ran could no longer hold the moist in her eyes. Tears were streaming down. She could not believe that her best friend, her first love, heck, the only love of her life just disappeared in a blink of an eye. She was lost in the midst of her thoughts that she didn't realize that Yukiko was already by her side hugging and comforting her. They both cried.

After a while, Ran noticed the short hand of the old grandfather's clock pointing to two. She excused herself, "Yukiko-san, I think I have to go home. Conan-kun's going to be home soon."

"Are you sure you'll be ok? You don't have to pretend to be strong. It's ok to mourn," Yukiko advised.

"I'm not sure when I'll be ok. But I'd be more comfortable being at my own place right now. "

Yukiko offered to accompany her home, but Ran politely refused. She wanted to be on her own. Everything was surreal and illogical to her.

"I found a letter on Shinichi's desk addressed to you. I hope it will answer some of your questions. Are you sure you don't want me to walk with you?" Yukiko asked once again.

But Ran declined, "Don't worry Yukiko-san. I won't do anything stupid or brave. My sadness probably doesn't amount to much compared to yours." Ran attempted to show a smile, but failed miserable as she broke down into tears as she took the letter and walked away. Yukiko could only feel a twinge of guilt in her stomach.

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Once Ran was out of sight, Yusaku came down. "How did it go?"

Yukiko responded quietly as she tried to clean the table she occupied a few moments before, "I never knew that acting could be so painful. Yusaku, I broke her heart!" She leaned on her husbands shoulder and cried.

"Shhh. It's for the best. You did the right thing," he said as he rigidly stood, hugging his crying wife.

Tbc

Next chapter, find out what is in the letter, Conan's role, and more clues of Shinichi's decision. I hope to update soon since I have some time. Again, correct me if I'm wrong. Feedbacks are accepted with warm fuzzy feelings attached to it.


	3. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own any character from Detective Conan.

Chapter 2

_Dear Ran, _

_If you are reading this letter, then I'm probably not here anymore. I trust that someone has told you a bit about what happened to me. I don't have much time, but I hope to shed some light and well, I guess, help you move on. Remember that day in Tropical Land? Of course you remember. We barely saw each other since that day. The men who sat behind us in the Roller Coaster belonged to a secret criminal organization called the Black Organization. They are an extremely cautious and discreet group composed of elites with power all over the world. I guess you could say that what I saw on that day was key to dismantle them. _

_This is probably the time for me to say sorry. Sorry for not being there. Sorry for not telling you. Sorry for making you worry. I'm not asking for forgiveness. But maybe a little bit of understanding. They have ways to eliminate people without leaving any traces. I just wanted to keep you safe, even if it means keeping you under the dark. I might have made the wrong decision, but trust me that your life and happiness mean a great deal to me. _

_As I'm writing this letter, I still have no tangible proof that can seal them forever. The people I'm working with came up with a plan, but I guess if you're reading this, something went wrong. Ran, I want you to know that I have always loved you and probably will continue to do so wherever I am. I also want you to make sure that you live life to its fullest. Enjoy however much time you have because every second is precious. _

_With that, I say my goodbyes and please, be happy._

_Love, _

_Shinichi_

"Ran-neechan! I'm home," Conan said as he closed the door to the Mouri Detective Office. He expected to be greeted with the usual "okaerinasai" from Ran, but all he got was silence.

He found Ran asleep in her bed still dressed in her uniform although more ruffled and creased. The redness of her eyes and her tear-stained face told Conan just how much Ran was suffering. The letter that Shinichi wrote limped at the mini table top next to the bed. That was when Conan, for some unknown reason, decided to shake Ran a bit and wake her up.

"Ran-neechan, is everything ok?" he gently asked.

"Conan-kun? You're back? I thought you were going to the park with the others," Ran commented as she rubbed her eyes. She could feel the heat burning in her eyes as much as she felt the intense pain tearing her heart.

"No, Genta had to stay over because he accidentally dropped the teacher's fish-bowl. We decided to go some other time. Ran-neechan,….what happened?" It pained him to pretend to not know the pain she was going through. Especially knowing that he was the cause of it all.

"Conan-kun,…Shinichi passed away," said Ran. She wondered how oddly it felt to say out loud the fact that her best friend is forever gone. Then, suddenly it hit her how she would never ever see Shinichi again. She stood from her bed, dropped to her knees and leaned on Conan while tears brimmed in her eyes. When she couldn't hold it any longer, it was as if a gate has been lifted and a flood of river came pouring.

The boy stood there, stoned. The Shinichi part of him wanted to just jump in and tell her that none of it was true. Kudou Shinichi is still alive and in fact, owns the shoulder that she is currently crying on. However, the Edogawa Conan part of him wanted to beat Shinichi up for being selfish and ultimately hurting the someone precious to him. Yet, through this internal struggle, all he could do was just stand there and whisper an untruthful, "Everything is going to be alright."

Tbc.

I hope you enjoy the chapter. It's pretty depressing. I'm sorry if the tenses aren't consistent. English isn't my first language so I still have some grammatical issues.

Thank you for those who have reviewed. I'll keep everything in mind when writing the story. I greatly appreciate the constructive criticisms.

This story is actually going slower than I thought it would. I'm hoping to reveal more of the plot and some of the mysteries real soon.


	4. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own any character from Detective Conan.

Chapter 3

The room was somber and suffocating; black drapes covering the walls and windows, dimmed lights and mellow candle radiating enough luminosity to glimpse, but not to observe. The room was like any other room used for commemorating the dead. The tatami-s were cleanly shined; the guests, all in black, kneeled down in an orderly fashion in front of a large dark mahogany casket. In the casket, there lies the supposed remains of Kudou Shinichi, a brilliant young detective whose courage and intelligence drove him to his fall.

The lady seated next to this particular wooden box held on to her husband who serves as a pillar preventing her from drowning in the sorrow of losing her only son. Or so it seems.

In actuality, Kudou Yukiko is not lamenting the death of her son because her son is, in fact, very much alive in the form of an eight-year old young boy sitting not too far from her. She cries for death of Shinichi, a name that from this day on will cease to exist, a name that she herself chose for her first born. But who cares about a name as long as he's still alive, right?

Yet, in some way, her son is dead. Shinichi and Conan are two different individuals who led extremely different lives. Shinichi lived the normal life of going to school, joining the soccer team, pursuing his obsession with mystery; whereas Conan lives a life in constant fear of the unknown catching on to him and destroying those he cares the most. Well, maybe that the Black Organization is known and no longer exists, he could be Shinichi.

Right next to Yukiko is Shinichi's best friend and first love, Mouri Ran. To use the world "devastated" to describe her condition is an understatement. I mean, how would someone feel if the person she loves the most, her possible soul mate, leaves forever and the only means of goodbye was a one page letter? The redness of her eyes, the bruises around them will tell anyone in the room that she probably hasn't stopped crying for days or even weeks.

She was leaning on her best friend, Sonoko, who despite her lack of fondness towards Shinichi feels a bit of a loss. Yet, she tries to be strong for the fragile being next to her. And for once, Mouri Kogorou found himself incapable of minimizing Shinichi's impact to her daughter as much as it hurts to see her destroy herself over his death. He can't even tell her to forget about Shinichi due to the times that Shinichi has made her wait in emptiness.

Yet, her piercing wails injured no one more than it did a boy who uncharacteristically chose to sat towards the end of the room, Edogawa Conan. It wounds him to know that he is the caused of her incessant pain. He stared numbly towards the direction of the picture of his former self, unable to actually see due to the massive Megure-san sitting right in front of him.

It felt a bit odd to attend his own funeral. But then again, who wouldn't. Seeing people weep for him after he's no longer there invokes certain feelings. He couldn't place whether he feels touched or just plain awkward. He expected Ran to be weeping throughout the whole ordeal. His parents and Agasa-hakase knew the truth and acted accordingly. He didn't expect people that he somewhat knew to break down in tears and sob; people like Megure-keibu or Takagi-san. As much as they've worked with him, he didn't think that they'd miss him that much.

Suddenly, a voice awakened him from his deep thought; a soft voice that belonged to a fellow eight year old who sat next to him. Haibara Ai, his similar-fate-sharing friend whispered to him, "you look like you're in a trance. Snap out of it."

"I think it's justified for me to be in a trance. After all, I'm attending my own funeral," Conan answered irritably and softly.

"I'm guessing this is a bad time to ask why?" asked the brilliant the young girl.

But Conan didn't respond. Instead, he chose to sat silently acting as one of the mourners, the one who never really knew Kudou Shinichi, but at the same time, understood everything about Kudou Shinichi. This is one hell of a circumstance.

Tbc.

Chapter 3 is done. Yay! Sorry for the late update. I've been hit by a wave of midterms. Trust me, having midterms in week 4, 5, and 6 continuously is NOT fun. I'm hoping to continue this soon, but I have 2 huge papers due soon, so don't count on it.

Other than that, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter. As usual, r&r make me happy.


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